McLean, Va.—Judy Phair, a veteran public relations executive and the immediate past president and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America, has been named vice president of communications at the Graduate Management Admission Council.
For Immediate Release
Immediate Past President of the Public Relations Society of America Joins McLean-Based Association of Top Business Schools
McLean, Va.—Judy Phair, a veteran public relations executive and the immediate past president and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America, has been named vice president of communications at the Graduate Management Admission Council. The Council is an association of 154 top graduate business schools around the world and the owner of the Graduate Management Admission Test.
Phair will lead the Council's worldwide strategic communications planning and will oversee all marketing, advertising, media relations, and publications activities. "The opportunity to work with an organization that provides important services of the highest quality to business schools and students is exciting," said Phair. "I'm especially impressed with the Council’s leadership in research in business education and its dedication to expanding access to business education, both here and abroad."
Prior to taking the newly created position at GMAC, Phair spent four years running her own communications firm, Phair Advantage Communications. She advised clients—such as the National Association of College Admission Counseling, College Savings Plan of Maryland, and several colleges and universities—on strategic planning, organizational audits, crisis communications, government relations, and media relations.
Before striking out on her own, Phair held numerous leadership positions with a variety of organizations. She served as vice president of public affairs at the Council on Competitiveness in Washington, D.C.; vice president for institutional advancement at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute; assistant dean for external relations at The Johns Hopkins University; and vice president for public relations at Goucher College. As vice president at Goucher, Phair implemented a highly successful communications and marketing plan as the institution transitioned from a women-only student body to coed. She was also highly involved in legislative relations on the state and federal level at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute.
As chief executive of the 21,000-member Public Relations Society of America, Phair traveled extensively and spoke out about the importance of public relations and on ethical issues in the profession to groups in the U.S. as well as China, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Croatia.
In addition to her involvement in PRSA, Phair has been active in several other professional and community organizations, including the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Central Maryland Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Phair was the recipient of the 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Maryland chapter of PRSA and has won several awards for her excellence in marketing and publications from CASE.
Phair began her career as a newspaper reporter in Wilmette, Ill., and has been an adjunct faculty member at Goucher College and Towson University. She earned a BA in communications from Simmons College in Boston and an MA in American studies from the University of Maryland, College Park.